Starchup
Starchup is a Chicago-based SaaS platform founded in 2014 that enables app-based delivery services for businesses, with an initial focus on dry cleaning operators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
Starchup firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Starchup
- Legal name
- Make Cents Technologies Incorporated
- Website
- https://starchup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Starchup is a Chicago-based SaaS platform founded in 2014 that enables app-based delivery services for businesses, with an initial focus on dry cleaning operators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Starchup is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Starchup business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Software (SaaS): Cents operates primarily as a SaaS platform with subscription-based pricing for access to Cents OS and its various modules including POS, business management, memberships, marketing tools, and reporting.
- Payment Processing / Transaction Fees: Cents Connect enables card payments at laundry machines, generating transaction fees on payment processing through their payment infrastructure.
- Hardware Sales (Cents Connect Devices): Sale of Cents Connect hardware devices that enable machine payment capabilities. These are physical card readers/payment devices installed on laundry equipment.
- Professional Services & Setup: Implementation, training, and customer success services to help operators adopt and optimize the platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Quote-based pricing - Contact for details |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Starchup product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Starchup is a SaaS platform that enables app-based delivery for service businesses, starting with the dry cleaning vertical. The aggregated source content positions it within a broader integrated laundry and dry-cleaning business management software ecosystem offering POS, machine payment integration, pickup and delivery dispatch, AI-powered customer service, memberships, marketing automation, websites, commercial invoicing, insurance, inventory, and financial reporting — all unified under a single cloud platform used by 4,500+ stores.
Product overview
Cents (Make Cents Technologies Incorporated) offers an all-in-one laundry and dry cleaning business management platform called Cents OS, serving 4,500+ stores. The architecture consists of a core unified business management platform (Cents OS) with integrated modules for Point of Sale, machine payment systems, and pickup/delivery management, supplemented by add-on modules including AI Receptionist (Cents Assist), marketing automation (Cents Accelerate), membership subscriptions, website building, commercial invoicing, insurance, inventory tracking, online ordering, team management, and financial reporting. The company also maintains the Laundroworks brand for card payment systems, acquired and integrated into the platform ecosystem.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Laundroworks: Industry-leading laundry card payment system technology
- Cents POS
- Cents Dispatch
- Cents Connect
- Cents Assist
- Cents Accelerate
- Cents Memberships
Products and services
- Starchup Delivery Platform SaaS platform enabling service businesses — starting with dry cleaning — to offer app-based ordering and on-demand delivery to their end customers, providing the underlying technology infrastructure for digital delivery operations.
- Laundry Business Management Platform (Cents OS) Cloud-based integrated business management platform for laundromat and dry cleaning operators, unifying machine tracking, employee management, financial reporting, and multi-location control. This is the broader platform surfaced in the aggregated source content surrounding Starchup, indicating the delivery capability sits within a wider laundry operating system.
- Pickup and Delivery Management (Dispatch) Pickup and delivery management module featuring on-demand driver integration, geofenced route optimization, custom delivery zones, and real-time customer tracking, allowing laundry and dry cleaning operators to expand into delivery services using their own drivers or gig-economy drivers.
Quantifiable outcome
- AI receptionist filters 80-100% of customer inquiries before reaching the team
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Starchup
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Starchup technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
Starchup partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- LaundroworkscoreLaundroworks is a laundry card payment system company that uses Cents technology under a 'Powered by Cents' arrangement. This represents a technology integration partnership where Cents provides the underlying platform technology that Laundroworks leverages for their card payment system product. The relationship is mutually beneficial, with Laundroworks extending Cents' reach into the machine payment hardware space.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Starchup competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CleanCloud: Cloud-based POS and business management SaaS for dry cleaners, laundromats, and shoe repairers — the international equivalent in Starchup's vertical, with online ordering and pickup/delivery modules.
- Rinse: On-demand laundry and dry cleaning pickup/delivery service operating in major US metros. Comparable as a dry cleaning delivery platform, though Rinse operates its own delivery rather than providing SaaS.
- Wash.com: Laundry and dry cleaning pickup/delivery service with app-based ordering. Closely comparable consumer-facing dry cleaning delivery product and a competitor for Starchup's operator-side SaaS partnerships.
- Cents (Make Cents Technologies): All-in-one SaaS platform for laundromats and dry cleaners covering POS, machine payments, dispatch, AI receptionist, and memberships. Most directly comparable to Starchup as a vertical SaaS for the same buyer persona, with much greater scale (4,500+ stores, $140M Series C).
Emerging players
- Mulberrys Garment Care: Premium dry cleaning and laundry chain with strong app-based pickup/delivery operations. Comparable as a digitally native dry cleaning delivery brand and a potential partner or competitor for Starchup's platform.
- FlyCleaners: App-based on-demand laundry and dry cleaning delivery platform. Comparable as a digitally native delivery product in the same end-market.
- Poplin: On-demand laundry delivery service operating via independent 'laundry pros'. Comparable consumer-side dry cleaning/laundry delivery experience and a competitor for operator relationships.
- Posimply: POS and business management software purpose-built for dry cleaners. Closely comparable vertical SaaS competitor targeting the same SMB operator buyer.
Regional players
- Laundryheap: UK-headquartered on-demand laundry and dry cleaning delivery platform with international expansion. Comparable delivery product but operates primarily outside Starchup's US geography.
Others
- Laundroworks: Laundry card payment system technology brand now powered by Cents. Comparable as a machine-payment technology provider in the same operator ecosystem, and a potential integration partner or competitor for Starchup.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Starchup social profiles
Digital presenceStarchup financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Starchup leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Starchup funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Starchup M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Starchup
What does Starchup do?
Starchup is a SaaS platform that enables app-based delivery for service businesses, starting with the dry cleaning vertical. The aggregated source content positions it within a broader integrated laundry and dry-cleaning business management software ecosystem offering POS, machine payment integration, pickup and delivery dispatch, AI-powered customer service, memberships, marketing automation, websites, commercial invoicing, insurance, inventory, and financial reporting — all unified under a single cloud platform used by 4,500+ stores.
Is Starchup a public or private company?
Starchup is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Starchup founded?
Starchup was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Starchup based?
Starchup is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Starchup make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription Software (SaaS) is the primary driver. The others are payment Processing / Transaction Fees, hardware Sales (Cents Connect Devices) and professional Services & Setup.
Who are Starchup's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CleanCloud, Rinse, Wash.com and Cents (Make Cents Technologies). Emerging players are Mulberrys Garment Care, FlyCleaners, Poplin and Posimply. Laundryheap is listed as a regional player. Laundroworks is listed as an others.
Does Starchup have an API?
No public API is recorded for Starchup.